Welcome to our care sheet. The following is the basic care that has been passed down through breeders, hobbyists, and herpetologists. We hope that you follow these suggestions to maintain a happy and healthy lifestyle for your dragon. 

DRAGON DIETS

Bearded Dragons are omnivorous reptiles, which means they eat animal protein and vegetables. Babies require higher levels of protein intake in their first six months, as they mature the required protein decreases and by the time they are two years old they are mostly vegetarian. Adults only require protein 2-3x’s a week. The diet that we feed our baby dragons consists of phoenix worms, small crickets, small silk worms and greens on a daily basis. Our adult dragons eat larger silk worms, butter worms and greens on a daily basis.

When supplementing our baby dragons we put the crickets in a jar containing calcium powder in the bottom, about 1/8”, and give the crickets a few shakes until they are coated with the powder but un-harmed. There is no need to coat the phoenix worms because of their high calcium content. We use Rep-cal calcium powder with D3 on a daily basis; it is also available without D3 if your using mercury vapor bulbs. Two to three times a week we supplement with Rep-cal Herptivite multivitamin this is also a powder implemented the same way as calcium. Our greens consist of two or three of the following greens finely chopped; mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion greens, turnip greens, a shredded carrot and Rep-cal juvenile bearded dragon pellets. We sprinkle a few of the pellets in the batch of greens and allow them to moisten over night. We also add a few sprinkles of T-Rex Dragon Dust (veggie maintenance formula), this is a very good product. These products are also available at www.reptiledirect.com. For an excellent resource of vitamin break down of foods go to www.beautifuldragons.com. As for our adult dragons, they only get supplemented two to three times a week with the same supplements listed above.

WATERING YOUR DRAGON

We recommend keeping a small, shallow dish of fresh water in your dragon’s cage. The water should be changed on a daily basis, but not all dragons will drink from a water dish. If your dragon does not drink out of the water dish we suggest using a small dropper to dispense droplets onto its snout in which it should drink readily. You can also spray your dragon with a pump mister daily. To ensure good hydration and health we recommend bathing your dragon once a week in warm water. Some dragons will really enjoy bathing and dunk their heads underwater and other dragons will not like bathing as much.

GROWTH RATE AND ROOMMATES

If properly cared for bearded dragons will grow extremely fast their first year and can mature in 14 months. The average adult dragon is 19”-24”. Adult dragons are, by nature, a solitary reptile and should be housed by them selves. Juvenile dragons can be housed together in an adequate sized cage for up to 6 to 8 months of age, if there are any signs of aggression, they will have to be separated immediately. Avoid putting two different sized dragons together as the larger one will dominate the smaller one. If a dragon is completely dominated it will be afraid to eat.

ADJUSTING TO A NEW HOME

Upon arrival of your new dragon there will be a short period of stress. This is common when young dragons are put into a new environment. During this first week try to avoid housing animals together until they are fully adjusted to their new home. In the first couple of days try to avoid over-handling your new pet to reduce stress. This is hard to do, even for us, because of the new excitement but it is better for your dragon to acclimate. Don’t be alarmed if your dragon hides for a few days, its personality will come out as he/she adjusts to its new environment.

HEALTH

If for some reason your dragon stops eating and appears lethargic do not hesitate to consult with a reptile vet. If proper lighting and diet is maintained your dragon should live a happy and healthy life. If you have any questions that have not been covered under our care sheet please contact us and we will answer your questions the best we can. A good reading source is The Bearded Dragon Manual by Philippe de Vosjoli and Robert Mailloux or Breaded Dragons in Captivity by Allen Repashy.